South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival – In  Nyla Innuksuk’s raucous debut Slash/Back, a group of Inuit girls is eager for something exciting to happen in their world. Well, they get their wish when an alien life force crashes upon their land. Armed with various skills, including hunting and horror movie knowledge, they’re ready to defend their home at all costs. Slash/Back is one heck of a film. While it wears its influences proudly, it also carves out its own path. This is a teenage rebellion of a different kind.

Slash/Back stars Tasiana Shirley as the resourceful Maika, a stellar hunter who learned the skill from her dad. She wants out of Pang, a tiny Canadian Arctic town with little to do. She dreams of life elsewhere. There’s also horror movie buff Jesse (Alexis Wolfe), Uki (Nalajoss Ellsworth), who loves her town, its traditions, and people, and Leena (Chelsea Prusky), who escapes and visits Winnepeg once a year with her family. Together, the girls are a force to be reckoned with, ready to wage war against a creature that looks like it crawled straight out of John Carpenter’s The Thing or “Stranger Things.” The otherworldly monster takes over the bodies of a polar bear, a racist cop, and other life forms. The practical and CGI effects look great. The cop-turned-alien, for instance, staggers in haunting fashion, especially when his body contorts in an inhuman fashion. He also shoots tentacles from his palms. This is one alien that’s creepy, crawly, and menacing. It wears the skin of its victims and closes in on the friends.

It’s the performances, though, that really make the film. This young cast does a stellar job. The dialogue at times feels improvised. These teens talk and act their age, whether it’s liking a photo on Instagram or namedropping horror movies. Even while gearing up to save the world, they chat about boys or their parents. Kudos to the writing duo and the actresses for making a film that feels so authentic.

The town of Pang becomes a character unto itself, too, especially the gorgeous shots of the land and the tight-knit feeling that exists in the tiny Native community. Location becomes paramount, and even if the girls complain that there’s nothing to do, they’re more than ready to fight to protect their land and thus, their heritage. Further, the original music by The Halluci Nation and the vocal performances by Tanya Tagaq electrify. This is a movie where every single element creates a wonderfully cohesive and creative whole.

Slash/Back is one of the better alien creature features to land in some time, maybe the best since Attack the Block.  While its influences are evident, it quickly becomes its own thing, wholly original and fun. Everything about this film, especially the cast, setting, and music, fires on all cylinders. This female-centric feature is out of this world, filled with heart and humor.

9 Out of 10